By: Betty Glynn
LaSalle, IL - Skip Martin is a tough competitor in the Late Model division, racing hard week in and week out at LaSalle Speedway . This Saturday night, with a full crowd celebrating the holiday, it was his time to shine taking home his first victory of 2005 after a series of bad luck.
Starting back in May, Skip was right there with the big dogs when he blew a motor after making the Spring Shootout field. Luck was just not on his side as he had just driven his way into the ESPN2 televised main event and after crossing the line of his night was over.
With the fourth of July celebration already underway, the McHenry driver mounted up on the front row outside next to pole sitter Mike Glynn of LaSalle. The pair found Wyanet’s Jason Jaggers and Dixon’s Tim Hamburg behind them in row two over Bart Schwartz and West Chicago’s Jay Fiene.
When the green dropped Glynn darted into the lead with Martin dropping in behind him. The two quickly began to distance themselves from Jaggers, Schwartz and Hamburg. With only two laps in the books a caution was thrown sending front runner Hamburg to the tail of the field.
Glynn chose the line on the bottom while Martin owned a mid bank line. Jaggers on the other hand was making his drive on the highside during the early laps. On Lap 9, Glynn had generated a decent lead over Martin when Fiene took charge of third over Jaggers and defending track champ Frank Reaber. Reaber was working a strong run as the only driver using the highest groove available.
A yellow two laps later brought everyone back in check. Once the action started again, Jaggers slid up the banking too high in the cushion and fell back opening the door for Reaber.
By Lap 14, Glynn found a comfortable position on the bottom while Martin was working up momentum with a higher drive depleting his lead. Fiene was still working hard near the inside tires and made his way under Martin to take a chance at second but the high groove was working for Martin and after a two lap battle Martin was in command of the runner up position.
During Lap 18, Martin worked his way up to Glynn and captured the lead for the first and final time a lap later. "When I passed him (Glynn) it was clean," Martin reflected about the lead change after the race. "It was a great race."
Martin took home the checkers with Glynn collecting second place for the third week in a row. Fiene scored third over Reaber, Jaggers, Hamburg, Schwartz, Joe Partipilo, Tom Markham, Mike Provenzano, Steve Oeder, and Travis Rokey.
Hamburg won the first Heat race over Martin, Fiene and Cody Sommer. Glynn survived a first lap wreck to win the second Heat. Jaggers, Schwartz and Rich Bell finished second through fourth. Glynn traveled the high banks for the fastest qualifying lap with a time of 12.853.
Ralph Markham of Maple Park worked his way up to the lead from a fifth place start to capture the victory for the Midwestern Late Model divisional feature. During the first four laps it was front row starter Mick Miller piloting the nineteen car pack.
Once Ralph took the lead he started to pull away from the field as Miller kept a fast line to hold off Tom Markham in his sons ride. Several cautions during the early laps kept the field together.
A restart of Lap 17, held Ralph in front with Miller, Tom, Streator’s Shane Hill, and Oglesby’s Keith Piano taking the top five running positions. Once the green fell Piano went from a run on the top side to a drive on the bottom. For the remaining laps Hill and Piano were dueling for fourth.
Ralph made his return to victory lane for the second time of the season. Miller crossed under the checkers in second ahead of Tom, Hill, Piano, Jerry Vance, Eric Dauber, Brian Ray, David Smith, Doug Newlin, Dan Patnoe and Eric Rebholz.
Piano was the fastest qualifier for the second week in a row with a lap time of 13.774. Dave Miller and Mick Miller each won their Heat races.
Bobby Morgan made a clean sweep of the Midwestern Sportsman division. Morgan started out the main event for the class on the front row inside next to Jake Patterson.
Morgan took advantage of the pole carried the torch flag to flag for his third victory of the year. Scott Schmitt found himself stuck behind lapped traffic during the final laps as he finished second. Rick Koltveit took home third over Patterson, Scott Cimei, Tina Soberi, Aaron Schmitt, Mike Affarano, Fleety Beltz and Ed Scarpadine.
Ottawa’s Al Gray made his first return to victory circle since May 7th in the Street Stock division. Gray started the main in seventh and immediately worked his way up to third behind Tom Otrembiak and Nick Sell. Otrembiak led the field for the first ten laps until Gray took over.
Gray was pulling away until a yellow with one lap remaining slowed his pace. For the restart it was Gray, Tom Legner, Otrembiak, Sell, and Matt Weibel in the top five.
Gray came out on top as Legner, Sell, Weibel, Otrembiak, Jay Mesarchik, Dan Exline, Steven Schweinlein, Robert Schlappi and Steve Lewis completed the top ten finishers respectively.
Sell and Otrembiak won their Heat races.
Next Saturday night is a regular race program. The U.M.P. Summer Nationals tops the venue on July 12th with Late Models competing for $6,000 to win plus the UMP Modifieds .
LaSalle Speedway Results
Late Model
Qualifying: Mike Glynn 12.853
First Heat: Tim Hamburg, Skip Martin, Jay Fiene, Cody Sommer
Second Heat: Mike Glynn, Jason Jaggers, Bart Schwartz, Rich Bell
Feature: Skip Martin, Mike Glynn, Jay Fiene, Frank Reaber, Jason Jaggers, Tim Hamburg, Bart Schwartz, Joe Partipilo, Tom Markham, Mike Provenzano, Steve Oeder, Travis Rokey, Joe Burba, Jason Bogle, Darin Furar, Fireball Furhman, Rich Bell, Cody Sommer
Midwestern Late Model
Qualifying: Keith Piano 13.774
First Heat: Dave Miller, Eric Rebholz, Dan Patnoe, Wally Forsythe
Second Heat: Mick Miller, Ralph Markham, Tom Markham, Eric Dauber
Feature: Ralph Markham, Mick Miller, Tom Markham, Shane Hill, Keith Piano, Jerry Vance, Eric Dauber, Brian Ray, David Smith, Doug Newlin, Dan Patnoe, Eric Rebholz, Joe Dynek, Dale Theobald, Dave Miller, Will Harris, Jack Benson, Tony Coglianese, Mark Jilbert
Midwestern Sportsman
First Heat: Bobby Morgan, Jake Patterson, Rick Koltveit, Tina Soberi
Feature: Bobby Morgan, Scott Schmitt, Rick Kotveit, Jake Patterson, Scott Cimei, Tina Soberi, Aaron Schmitt, Mike Affarano, Fleety Beltz, Ed Scarpardine
Street Stock
First Heat: Nick Sell, Steve Lewis, Robert Schlappi, Al Gray
Second Heat: Tom Otrembiak, Jerry Legner, Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt
Feature: Al Gray, Tom Legner, Nick Sell, Matt Weibel, Tom Otrembiak, Jay Mesarchik, Dan Exline, Steven Schweinlein, Robert Schlappi, Steve Lewis, Bill Clemmons, Eric Legner, Mike Flanagan, Tony Harlocker, Gary Schmitt, Jeff Small, Jerry Legner, Mike Hughes, Joe Jelinek
LaSalle, IL - Skip Martin is a tough competitor in the Late Model division, racing hard week in and week out at LaSalle Speedway . This Saturday night, with a full crowd celebrating the holiday, it was his time to shine taking home his first victory of 2005 after a series of bad luck.
Starting back in May, Skip was right there with the big dogs when he blew a motor after making the Spring Shootout field. Luck was just not on his side as he had just driven his way into the ESPN2 televised main event and after crossing the line of his night was over.
With the fourth of July celebration already underway, the McHenry driver mounted up on the front row outside next to pole sitter Mike Glynn of LaSalle. The pair found Wyanet’s Jason Jaggers and Dixon’s Tim Hamburg behind them in row two over Bart Schwartz and West Chicago’s Jay Fiene.
When the green dropped Glynn darted into the lead with Martin dropping in behind him. The two quickly began to distance themselves from Jaggers, Schwartz and Hamburg. With only two laps in the books a caution was thrown sending front runner Hamburg to the tail of the field.
Glynn chose the line on the bottom while Martin owned a mid bank line. Jaggers on the other hand was making his drive on the highside during the early laps. On Lap 9, Glynn had generated a decent lead over Martin when Fiene took charge of third over Jaggers and defending track champ Frank Reaber. Reaber was working a strong run as the only driver using the highest groove available.
A yellow two laps later brought everyone back in check. Once the action started again, Jaggers slid up the banking too high in the cushion and fell back opening the door for Reaber.
By Lap 14, Glynn found a comfortable position on the bottom while Martin was working up momentum with a higher drive depleting his lead. Fiene was still working hard near the inside tires and made his way under Martin to take a chance at second but the high groove was working for Martin and after a two lap battle Martin was in command of the runner up position.
During Lap 18, Martin worked his way up to Glynn and captured the lead for the first and final time a lap later. "When I passed him (Glynn) it was clean," Martin reflected about the lead change after the race. "It was a great race."
Martin took home the checkers with Glynn collecting second place for the third week in a row. Fiene scored third over Reaber, Jaggers, Hamburg, Schwartz, Joe Partipilo, Tom Markham, Mike Provenzano, Steve Oeder, and Travis Rokey.
Hamburg won the first Heat race over Martin, Fiene and Cody Sommer. Glynn survived a first lap wreck to win the second Heat. Jaggers, Schwartz and Rich Bell finished second through fourth. Glynn traveled the high banks for the fastest qualifying lap with a time of 12.853.
Ralph Markham of Maple Park worked his way up to the lead from a fifth place start to capture the victory for the Midwestern Late Model divisional feature. During the first four laps it was front row starter Mick Miller piloting the nineteen car pack.
Once Ralph took the lead he started to pull away from the field as Miller kept a fast line to hold off Tom Markham in his sons ride. Several cautions during the early laps kept the field together.
A restart of Lap 17, held Ralph in front with Miller, Tom, Streator’s Shane Hill, and Oglesby’s Keith Piano taking the top five running positions. Once the green fell Piano went from a run on the top side to a drive on the bottom. For the remaining laps Hill and Piano were dueling for fourth.
Ralph made his return to victory lane for the second time of the season. Miller crossed under the checkers in second ahead of Tom, Hill, Piano, Jerry Vance, Eric Dauber, Brian Ray, David Smith, Doug Newlin, Dan Patnoe and Eric Rebholz.
Piano was the fastest qualifier for the second week in a row with a lap time of 13.774. Dave Miller and Mick Miller each won their Heat races.
Bobby Morgan made a clean sweep of the Midwestern Sportsman division. Morgan started out the main event for the class on the front row inside next to Jake Patterson.
Morgan took advantage of the pole carried the torch flag to flag for his third victory of the year. Scott Schmitt found himself stuck behind lapped traffic during the final laps as he finished second. Rick Koltveit took home third over Patterson, Scott Cimei, Tina Soberi, Aaron Schmitt, Mike Affarano, Fleety Beltz and Ed Scarpadine.
Ottawa’s Al Gray made his first return to victory circle since May 7th in the Street Stock division. Gray started the main in seventh and immediately worked his way up to third behind Tom Otrembiak and Nick Sell. Otrembiak led the field for the first ten laps until Gray took over.
Gray was pulling away until a yellow with one lap remaining slowed his pace. For the restart it was Gray, Tom Legner, Otrembiak, Sell, and Matt Weibel in the top five.
Gray came out on top as Legner, Sell, Weibel, Otrembiak, Jay Mesarchik, Dan Exline, Steven Schweinlein, Robert Schlappi and Steve Lewis completed the top ten finishers respectively.
Sell and Otrembiak won their Heat races.
Next Saturday night is a regular race program. The U.M.P. Summer Nationals tops the venue on July 12th with Late Models competing for $6,000 to win plus the UMP Modifieds .
LaSalle Speedway Results
Late Model
Qualifying: Mike Glynn 12.853
First Heat: Tim Hamburg, Skip Martin, Jay Fiene, Cody Sommer
Second Heat: Mike Glynn, Jason Jaggers, Bart Schwartz, Rich Bell
Feature: Skip Martin, Mike Glynn, Jay Fiene, Frank Reaber, Jason Jaggers, Tim Hamburg, Bart Schwartz, Joe Partipilo, Tom Markham, Mike Provenzano, Steve Oeder, Travis Rokey, Joe Burba, Jason Bogle, Darin Furar, Fireball Furhman, Rich Bell, Cody Sommer
Midwestern Late Model
Qualifying: Keith Piano 13.774
First Heat: Dave Miller, Eric Rebholz, Dan Patnoe, Wally Forsythe
Second Heat: Mick Miller, Ralph Markham, Tom Markham, Eric Dauber
Feature: Ralph Markham, Mick Miller, Tom Markham, Shane Hill, Keith Piano, Jerry Vance, Eric Dauber, Brian Ray, David Smith, Doug Newlin, Dan Patnoe, Eric Rebholz, Joe Dynek, Dale Theobald, Dave Miller, Will Harris, Jack Benson, Tony Coglianese, Mark Jilbert
Midwestern Sportsman
First Heat: Bobby Morgan, Jake Patterson, Rick Koltveit, Tina Soberi
Feature: Bobby Morgan, Scott Schmitt, Rick Kotveit, Jake Patterson, Scott Cimei, Tina Soberi, Aaron Schmitt, Mike Affarano, Fleety Beltz, Ed Scarpardine
Street Stock
First Heat: Nick Sell, Steve Lewis, Robert Schlappi, Al Gray
Second Heat: Tom Otrembiak, Jerry Legner, Mike Hughes, Gary Schmitt
Feature: Al Gray, Tom Legner, Nick Sell, Matt Weibel, Tom Otrembiak, Jay Mesarchik, Dan Exline, Steven Schweinlein, Robert Schlappi, Steve Lewis, Bill Clemmons, Eric Legner, Mike Flanagan, Tony Harlocker, Gary Schmitt, Jeff Small, Jerry Legner, Mike Hughes, Joe Jelinek
